Keeping Cool and Connected: Attendee Wellbeing Strategies for Summer Outdoor Events

Skift

15-07-2025

Ensure attendee wellbeing at summer outdoor events with tips on heat, hydration, accessibility, and real-time engagement.
It's 2:45 PM. The outdoor breakout session under a tent is running long. Someone near the front is fanning themselves with a printed agenda. Your phone battery is at 11%. And the networking energy you planned for this moment? Gone.
Sound familiar?
When you're organizing a summer event with outdoor components, things can go sideways quickly if you don't think ahead about attendee well-being. From heat and fatigue to Wi-Fi issues and sensory overload, the risks are real. And today's attendees are clear about what they expect: comfort, care, and options that support how they show up.
Wellness at outdoor events is no longer just a hospitality "nice-to-have". It's a core part of creating a high-quality experience.
Why Attendee Wellbeing Must Be a Priority for Outdoor Events
Image from Skift India Forum
A good agenda won't matter much if people are dehydrated or overheated. When attendees aren't physically comfortable, it's hard for them to stay mentally present. Add in outdoor distractions, long walking distances, and limited shade, and even the best programming can lose its impact.
Wellness matters because it affects everything else. Attention spans. Energy levels. Willingness to participate. If people feel drained, they check out early or disengage entirely.
As the organizer, your role is not just to plan the schedule. It's to create the conditions for attendees to actually benefit from it.
What Can Go Wrong Outside (if You Don't Plan Ahead)
These are the most common outdoor challenges you'll need to plan around:
Heat and sun exposure (see how soaring heat impacts events)
Risk of dehydration
Long walks with limited seating or shade
Sensory overload from crowd noise, traffic, or music
Accessibility issues on grass, gravel, or uneven ground
Spotty Wi-Fi and charging access
Lack of quiet or private spaces
Wind, rain, and storms
Each of these impacts attendee focus and satisfaction. According to the 2025 Cvent planner sourcing report, 26% of planners say a poor attendee experience would deter them from returning to a venue in the future, highlighting the direct business implications of neglecting wellbeing.
The good news? Each one is manageable with thoughtful planning.
Tactical Wellness Strategies You Can Implement Today
Photo Credits: Panasonic
Let's get specific. These are field-tested ways to build wellness into your summer outdoor event, even on a tight timeline or budget.
1. Make Physical Comfort Easy
Provide plenty of shaded areas using tents, umbrellas, or existing tree cover
Place water refill stations near every major gathering zone
Offer cooling towels or portable fans at check-in and wellness stations
Set up misting areas near high-traffic spaces if your venue allows
Stock sunscreen in shared spaces and bathrooms
Example: Panasonic's Dry Mist System, showcased at CES 2024, used a micro-mist curtain to reduce heat stress in open-air environments.
If you can only do one thing: Put shade and water within easy reach of every session area and lounge zone.
2. Reduce Mental and Physical Fatigue
Break up long sessions with movement-friendly transitions
Avoid full-sun exposure for keynotes or breakouts if possible
Create rest zones with seating that feels close to the action, not off to the side
Build in buffer time between sessions to allow people to recharge
Example: Some planners integrate brief wellness activations like 10–15 minute brain-boosting exercises or somatic breathwork sessions between meetings to help attendees recharge both mentally and physically.
Dami Kim, director of Body and Brain Corporate Wellness, recommends brain-boosting exercises to improve focus, while Sepideh Eivazi, of Dawn of the Earth and the Global Wellness Institute, offers breathwork to reduce stress and increase energy.
What this looks like: Bean bags under trees, a mobile lounge cart with fans and snacks, or hammocks in a quieter corner.
3. Serve Light, Energy-Supporting Food and Drinks
Choose foods that feel fresh and easy to digest in the heat: fruit, wraps, salads, popsicles
Clearly label all dietary options and allergen information
Keep snacks and drinks stocked beyond just meal windows
Tip: Offer branded electrolyte packets or chilled fruit-infused water as a low-cost, high-impact touch.
For inspiration, check out 25 Health Cautious Catering Ideas for Your Meetings and Events
4. Keep People Engaged and Equipped
Set up mobile charging stations throughout the space
Provide printed maps and schedules as a backup to apps
Use clear signage and wayfinding to minimize walking confusion
Train staff to help with tech, logistics, and comfort questions on the fly
Add a Wellness Response Team: Assign a few staff or volunteers to check on guests, refill hydration stations, and spot people who may need a break. Give them badges or shirts so they're easy to spot.
What Not to Do
Some common mistakes are easy to avoid once you know what to watch for:
Putting hydration stations far from breakout areas
Scheduling anything in the midday sun
Relying only on digital tools in a space with weak connectivity
Ignoring terrain challenges for guests with mobility needs
Forgetting quiet or private spaces for nursing, prayer, or sensory recovery
Waiting until someone complains before adjusting your setup
Relying on long-term weather forecasts
Not having a backup plan
For more on weather-proofing your event, see Don't Let Climate Change Blow Your Event Away.
Monitor Attendee Wellbeing
You don't need to guess how attendees are doing. Build in systems to gather quick feedback and adjust fast.
Monitor key zones: Are people lingering or leaving? Are the shaded seats full?
Empower staff to fix issues on the spot, whether it's restocking water or moving a session into shade
Ask volunteers to report what they hear and see
Try this: Set up a 'What Would Help You Right Now?' board with sticky notes or a live comment screen. Update your response plan every few hours based on the input.
Wellness Drives Engagement and Outcomes
When people feel good, they stay longer. They network more. They absorb what you've worked hard to deliver. Prioritizing wellness during an outdoor event isn't just thoughtful but strategic.
You don't need a spa tent or a massive budget to get this right. You need intention and visibility. And you need a team that's empowered to care for people in real time.
Because when attendees feel taken care of, they take more away from the experience.